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Ex-Cal Safety Ashtyn Davis Likely to Make 2021 Debut for Jets Sunday

Injury to Marcus Maye is forcing New York to play the former Bears star after coming off IR

An injury that will keep Jets safety Marcus Maye sidelined for three to four weeks is forcing the Jets to activate former Cal safety Ashtyn Davis, who is likely to see his first playing time of the 2021 season on Sunday against the Tennessee Titans.

Davis had surgery to repair a foot injury that ended his 2020 season, and he was on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list throughout the preseason. He was then placed on Injured Reserve to start the regular season, requiring him to miss at least the first three games.

Davis returned to practice on Wednesday, and he was eligible to be promoted to the active roster this week.

Activating Davis this week was unlikely until the seriousness of Maye’s injury became evident on Thursday. That left the Jets without both starting safeties – Maye and Lamarcus Joyner, who suffered a season-ending triceps injury in Week 1.

Adrian Colbert and Jarrod Wilson are the only healthy active safeties, and they are likely to be the starters on Sunday.

The Jets have 21 days before they have to place Davis to the active roster, but Jets head coach Robert Saleh said on Friday that Davis will be activated this week and is expected to play Sunday.

“Ashtyn comes back,” Saleh said Friday of his options with Maye out. “Obviously we can’t give him a full game in there, because he hasn’t played football in a year. But we do plan on getting him part of the rotation along with Jarrod Wilson and [Sherrod] Neasmon; they’re both back. So we’ll have a good little rotation in there and play the hot hand, but they’ve all got to be ready to play.”

Saleh talks about Davis 2:10 into this video of his Friday press conference:

Davis hasn't played in a game since Dec. 6, 2020, when he suffered a major foot injury that caused him to miss the offseason and preseason.

He played in 10 games, including six starts, for the Jets last season as a rookie after being taken in the third round of the 2020 NFL draft.

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Cover photo of Ashtyn Davis by Mark Konezny, USA TODAY Sports

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Follow Jake Curtis of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jakecurtis53

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